A local Facebook page called "Save Southern Guam" has been started in opposition to the proposed development.
The company that's looking to build a 15 story hotel in the village of Agat also has ties to a law firm that specializes in immigration and they are advertising permanent residency as a reason to invest in the hotel. Meanwhile a local Facebook page has been started that's in opposition to the development.
The company Pacific Asian Development Ltd. is proposing to build a 15 story 5-star luxury hotel in the village of Agat across the Agat marina. According to their website this hotel should be completed by the 4th quarter of 2017 but ground has yet to be broken on the project. In fact the lot across from the Agat marina is still covered with jungle.
According to their website David F. Jacka is listed as their CEO and Danny Leon Guerrero is listed as their Guam director. It's website says that their marketing model is to sell 50% of their condominium units to Chinese investors through it's China-based real estate marketing partners Bon & Top international and Shanghai Chengce Real Estate Consultancy ltd.
They are also advertising that investors can qualify for an EB-5 visa which allows permanent residency in the USA. What is an EB-5 visa? According to the official website of the Department of Homeland Security the EB-5 program allows entrepreneurs their spouses and unmarried children under 21 to apply for a green card and permanent residence if they make the necessary investment in a commercial enterprise in the United States and plan to create or preserve 10 permanent full-time jobs for qualified U.S. workers. It's known as the employment based fifth preference visa. The PADL website even lists the law office of Ricci and Sprouls as a partner. This law firm specializes in immigration.
Meanwhile opposition to this project has grown. Senator Tommy Morrison has asked the Governor to seek the public's input before green-lighting the project. Also a Facebook page has been started called “Save Southern Guam.” The page says in part that "The greatest charm of the southern half of Guam are our beautiful and sleepy little villages" which are "far from the hustle and bustle of busy overbearing and congested Tumon and Tamuning". It goes on to say that a massive 15 story luxury hotel "will change our lives in the south forever." It says the Environmental Impact in the surrounding lush jungles and on Hagat bay will be devastating. The influx of tourists, buses, boats, congestion, traffic and all of the smog and noise pollution that accompanies such things will be at our doorsteps. The Facebook page poses the question, “Who are these developers and when did they ask us if this is what we wanted as a community?". According to the “Save Southern Guam” page says the Agat mayor was not even aware of this proposal.